Kiss and Run
by mozartmaid
Summary: Starts at the end of Crossfire. What could have happened after that first passionate kiss?


**Kiss and Run**

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Warner Bros. Just borrowing for fun.

Nothing could have prepared Lois for his kiss.

She had been rambling on about how some blonde bimbo had gotten their television spot, inwardly wondering whether Clark would ask her out again after he had overheard Oliver's confession. Poor Ollie. He had gone through so much, but those deeper feelings for him had long since gone and she was hoping that Clark was still interested—

And then, there he was. Shocking her out of her own inner dialogue, Clark landed a soul-searing kiss on her.

He pulled her closer, his lips seeking hers. His tongue sensual, giving and taking at once. She felt a pull in her belly, somewhere between lust and shock. The sensation of at long last kissing Clark Kent sizzled through her, right to her toes.

For a full minute, she couldn't think, couldn't worry. She couldn't even try to be one step ahead – she simply felt.

Time seemed to stop, as they silently acknowledged that this was what they both really wanted. Lois wouldn't be able to recall how long he had held her there under the spell of his passion, but the moment he reluctantly pulled away, she felt herself lurch forward, traitorously revealing that she hadn't been ready for the kiss to end.

His eyes searched hers, and she struggled to catch her breath, seeing for the first time crystal clear longing in Clark Kent's eyes.

"Wha—what was that for?" she managed to croak out, stepping back and trying to look away from his gaze just a bit to regain her composure.

But his eyes held hers, drawing her back in, as he searched for words as well.

"I – wanted to ask you on another date," he said in a rush, and then slightly cringed, as if hearing how lame he sounded.

"Putting the cart a bit before the horse, aren't you Smallville?" she quipped a little too airily, still shaken up by his kiss. She picked up some files on her desk, not really reading them, but afraid to look in his eyes again, lest he see how much he had gotten to her, and moreover, to see how much she had gotten to him. "Well, I—I don't know. I'll think about it," she said, barely glancing at him as she turned to head towards the refuge of the copy room.

"Lois!" he called after her.

She felt her heart start to pound, wondering if he'd follow her, if he'd come with her into the copy room – if he'd take her again in those wonderfully strong arms of his and lay another kiss-

But he didn't follow her. She heard a resolved sigh behind her, and she wished for just a moment that she could have the courage to turn around and accept his date. Or better yet, that he'd have the courage to make her speak to him.

But since neither of them could seem to muster the nerve to confront the other, she went into the copy room, alone.

~L&C~

Lois avoided Clark for the next hour or so, looking for an excuse-any excuse- to leave the Planet early. She refused to sit at her desk, where she knew Clark could corner her about what had happened. She simply could not face him. The emotions stirred up by that kiss had kept bubbling with every glance in his direction… and the few times her eyes had locked with his- well, she was surprised the whole newsroom hadn't erupted into flames. The thought that the connection she had always believed she had with Clark was real, and that he felt it too, terrified her.

Not to mention she now had to deal with the sniggering giggles of her colleagues. She could shush most of them with a glare, but she knew that the smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-the-newsroom kiss had garnered everyone's attention.

About an hour after it happened, she finally left the bullpen, claiming a lead on a story.

Clark tried talking to her on her way out, but she refused to listen.

"Later, Clark! I have to go!" she called back over her shoulder, vaguely in his direction, making her way to the elevators. She pressed the button and counted the seconds until the doors chimed open, her heart in her throat.

She only dared one last glance at him before stepping in, but Clark had turned back to his work.

Angrily, she slammed on the button for the main level.

She crossed her arms, settling into the far back corner of the elevator. By the time the doors slid open, she felt tears beginning to surface, dissolving her irritation.

"You are being ridiculous, Lane," she told herself, wiping her eyes with her fingers. "It was just a kiss."

But she knew it was more than that.

It was everything.

~L&C~

Lois stepped out of the Planet building, full of nervous energy and no idea where she wanted to go. She wished she really did have a lead to chase up, but at the moment, she had nothing pressing. She didn't want to go anywhere Clark could easily find her, at least not until she could get her emotions under control. She didn't want to head back to Smallville just yet, knowing Clark would probably head to Chloe's apartment after work to look for her. She knew that going shopping would be equally dangerous for her credit cards, and yet wandering aimlessly wasn't her style either.

She saw a convenience store across the street and suddenly smiled.

She walked in, bought a six-pack, and headed to the only person she thought she could handle talking to right now.

~L&C~

"Lois," Oliver said, coming around his desk to greet her. "I'm surprised you're here…"

Lois hefted up the six-pack of beer and pulled one off, handing it to Oliver. She took one for herself, setting the rest on his lounge table. She made herself comfortable on his sofa, taking a sip of the cool brew. "Oliver, we need to talk."

He sat down next to her, for once not delving straight into the alcohol. His hazel eyes searched hers. "What is it, Lois? You know you can tell me anything," he said, his usual careless demeanor replaced with sincerity.

Lois glanced at him, reminded of his heartfelt confession last night, telling her that he still loved her. 'What am I doing here?' she thought with an inner sigh. 'I can't talk to Ollie about Clark. It will break his heart.'

She took another long swig of beer and began to stand up, preparing to leave. "I'm sorry, Ollie. I shouldn't have come here. I—"

"It's Clark, isn't it?" he asked, sounding somewhat resigned.

When she reluctantly nodded, he opened his beer and took a long gulp himself. Lois plopped back on the sofa next to him.

The air seemed heavy for a moment, as they sat in silence, drinking.

After the awkward pause, Oliver cleared his throat, seemingly resolved to get this conversation out in the open. "What did he do? Did he reject you? I mean, Clark is a little—strange and hardheaded sometimes. But if he did anything—"

"He kissed me," she interrupted, with an apologetic glance at Oliver.

"Oh…" he said, and then kicked back another long chug of beer.

"Yup. He kissed me, and I bolted."

"Well, that's simple enough, right?" he said with forced levity, waving his beer in the air punctuated by a painful smile. "I'm sure you'll talk to him later, set up a date or something, right? What's the problem? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Sort of… I don't know. It was-" she turned to him, remembering the kisses they had shared, the passion they had shared. And she just knew – with Clark, it was on a whole other level. "More. It was just—more," she sighed. "And you know me. I've a hard time dealing with emotions. And I just can't think—"she shook her head. "Scratch that. _All _I can do is think—about that kiss. And how it floored me," she finished quietly.

Ollie cleared his throat again and tried for a laugh, but it came out almost like a strangled cry. "Look, Lois. I'm here for you. We're here for each other, right?" he said, clinking her can with his. "But I don't know what to do here…"

She winced a bit, "I know, Ollie. I'm sorry. I just didn't know where to go—"

"I tell you what, I have a meeting in L. A. tomorrow. Come with me. While I'm dealing with the suits, you can relax in Santa Monica… It will get you out of Metropolis; give you a chance to clear your head."

Lois considered the offer. She would love to run away to the beach for a few days. And she trusted Ollie. This would be strictly as friends, although she could see the wistful longing hidden beneath his veneer of friendship.

"I don't know, Ollie. I don't want to strain our friendship—"

"Look, I'll book you your own suite. You won't have to see me unless you want to."

"Ollie," she chided. "Of course I want to see you. I just—"

He lifted his hands to her shoulder, to reassure her. "Don't worry. I know we're just friends… though I admit I have had hopes of seeing you in that red bikini again…" he said with that boyish grin that Lois admitted made her melt.

Lois grabbed a nearby pillow and hit his arm not holding the beer. "Very funny."

"In all seriousness, Lois, if you want to get away, come with me. But if you're ready to face Clark and deal with stuff, then stay."

She bit her lip, thinking for a moment, then smiled. "When do we leave?"

~L&C~

Clark watched the elevator close behind Lois.

What had he been thinking?

He sighed, knowing full well what he had been thinking. That Chloe was right, and he needed to just seize the moment. But he'd seized it – and where had it left him?

It had frightened Lois out of the office and left Clark with a tantalizing desire to explore more of that—passion he had underestimated with Lois.

It wasn't like he hadn't kissed her before. He had more memories than was fair to Lois of their shared kisses – but he had always chalked up the jolt of passion between them to the red kryptonite, or to the rush he had felt pretending to be Green Arrow. This – this was something similar, but more thrilling and wonderful. This rocked him to his core, way deeper than he had ever felt with anyone else. That kiss—had been explosive.

No wonder Lois bolted.

Was either of them ready to face what they could mean to each other? What if she was still thinking about taking Oliver back?

Clark tore off the paper he had been doodling on and scrunched it up. He tossed it easily into his neighbor's trashcan and sighed.

He knew what he had felt with Lois. This was far deeper than mere passion.

He picked up his cell phone, thinking he'd call her. Ask her on a date. Get things out in the open. Well, some things… But they should at least talk about what happened. And most importantly, if she wanted to do anything about it.

Clark sighed again, reconsidering calling Lois. She wasn't likely to answer, and he didn't want to seem needy. That kiss had to have been a strong enough message. He felt confident that when she was ready, she'd call him.

~L&C~

The moment they took off from the roof of LuthorCorp, Lois knew she'd made a huge mistake. What was she doing, running off with Oliver?

She glanced over at him as he looked calculatingly out the window, watching the city shrink below them.

Lois sighed and took a sip of champagne that Oliver had poured her before they'd left. What did it matter? She'd already run out of the office. At least it was Friday, and her editor wouldn't expect her back until Monday. But Clark had to know she was freaking out, and he hadn't even tried to call her. She had checked her phone before they took off, just to be sure. But, nothing …

Suddenly Oliver turned to her and smiled. "So, it's all taken care of. You will have your very own suite. I've also rented you a car," he paused to hand her a folder. "Well, my secretary rented you a car, but—it's yours for the next three days. Oh, and I even had her book you a spa treatment for tomorrow morning, if you want it."

She took the folder and smiled wanly. "Oliver, you are too much. But, thank you."

He flashed her a slightly apologetic grin in return and shrugged. "It's the least I could do for my best friend."

~L&C~

The hotel suite was pure perfection. The moment her door was closed, she ran into the bedroom, fell onto the eiderdown comforter and sighed. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A text message.

She grabbed her pink and white Blackberry, seeing immediately it was from Clark: "Sorry about today. Can we talk? Clark."

She felt a wave of guilt again for having run off. What could she text back, though? "Sorry, I'm in L. A. with Oliver?" Hardly!

She set the phone down, and almost immediately it buzzed again. This time, it was her little cousin. "Clark is worried about you. Are you okay? Call me, Chloe."

Lois hesitated a moment, but she decided if she could at least appease Chloe, then Chloe might be able to get Clark to give her some space. "Fine. Just need some time alone. Lo." Her thumb hovered only a moment over the half-truth before pushing the send button.

She sighed and shut off her phone, tossing it in her bag. She had come here to avoid the emotional roller coaster, not to keep riding it. She stood up and went over to the window.

They were on the 20th floor, and though they were on the edge of L.A., she could see the ocean from here.

"OK, Clark Kent," she whispered to herself. "You are going to have to do without me for a little while – cause this girl is heading to the beach."

~L&C~

Lois came back to her room three hours later, tanned and tired, but mentally feeling much better. She had only thought of Clark's ambush kiss twice while enjoying the sun, though she still didn't know what she'd do about it. Feeling guilty, she immediately checked her phone to see if anyone had called in her absence.

No calls from Clark.

And just a short text from Chloe that she hoped Lois was all right.

Her phone suddenly buzzed again, indicating another text. This time it was from Ollie.

"Dinner at 7? As friends, promise."

She couldn't say no. Not when he'd been so kind as to set her up with this mini-vacation. And it was Oliver, after all. She could handle any emotional arrows he sent her way. Even if he was an excellent shot as the Emerald Archer.

She grinned as she texted back. "See you then."

Meanwhile, she had some time to kill… and a bubble bath was calling her name.

~L&C~

Lois sighed with contentment as she sank deeper into the rose-scented water. Velvety bubbles crackled lightly around her, calming her.

She closed her eyes, and traitorously, her thoughts flew to Clark. She thought about how long she had held back her feelings for him. Unwillingly, tears came to her eyes. She had been his friend for such a long time, even through his ups and downs with Lana. But she had always felt a longing for something more with him was just under the surface of their relationship.

She suddenly splashed the water, angry with herself. That kiss had just pushed all those emotions to the forefront; they held up a mirror to exactly what she had been running from.

Her heart.

Inexplicably, Lois started to tremble. Surprised by her sudden helplessness, she tried holding onto the edge of the tub, but quickly lost consciousness. She slipped under the water, as random images of a strange, futuristic dream assaulted her.

The tremors and the visions lasted no more than a minute. Eventually she came up to the surface, coughing and scared.

Shaking, she pulled herself out of the tub, reaching for a towel. She wrapped the thick cotton around herself, and sat down on the cool tile.

"Breathe, Lane," she coached herself, going over again in her mind what she had seen.

"What the hell just happened?" she whispered, glancing at herself in the mirror. She had actually had several of these visions before, ever since her three weeks of blocked memory. The instances were becoming more and more frequent, and this was the first time that she could recall any of the images after the fact.

The episode, as had all of them, left her with a splitting headache. She made her way back over to the bed, seeing that it was a quarter after 6. She could either call dinner off or pull herself together to meet Oliver.

But first, she needed to sort out what had happened to her in the tub. Ever the investigator, Lois instinctively searched for a notepad and a pen in the nightstand. Her heart was racing, as she feared the memories of whatever she had seen would evaporate just as quickly as the other times. Lois repeated over and over, like a mantra as she steadied herself to write. Her list was so bizarre—

_A red sun_

_Chloe on the ground – dead?_

_Oliver—burying someone?_

_Clark—_

She scratched through the last one, thinking that her fantasies had just gone into overdrive. But the damage was done. She had seen herself in Clark's arms, making love to him-

She tossed the notepad on the table, disbelieving.

'What is going on here?' she wondered, not for the first time. She couldn't shake the feeling that whatever she was seeing was somehow connected to her three weeks of blocked memory, but she couldn't reconcile what she had seen to any reality that she knew.

Her phone buzzed, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Well, at least her towel anyway. It was another text from Oliver. "I'm at the bar. Meet me down here when you're ready."

Lois tore off the paper and stuffed it in her bag to deal with later. She felt a little better, even if she still had a headache. She didn't want Oliver to become suspicious that anything was wrong with her. She just needed a few minutes to get herself together.

~L&C~

After much debating, Lois went down to meet Oliver twenty minutes later. She pushed aside the strange flash of visions she had had in the tub, downed a few ibuprofens, and promised herself she'd sort out what they had been about later.

"Hey," Oliver said when he spotted her. He tossed a few bills on the bar and made his way over to her at the host stand.

Lois had deliberated over what to wear tonight, not wanting to seem too appealing, and yet knowing that appearing with a billionaire bachelor required a certain level of style. She had decided on her favorite goldenrod cocktail dress and noticed Oliver's appreciative glance. She smiled, but acknowledged that the butterflies that used to accompany a look like that from him seemed oddly still. He no longer was someone she felt that way about.

Oliver pulled out a chair for her, and they sat down. Lois hid behind the rather large menu, thinking again that she had made a mistake. She suddenly longed for someone else to be sitting across from her. A tall guy, with striking blue eyes and a penchant for red and blue flannel… As much as she would always care about Ollie, she knew that her heart belonged to Clark now, whether she wanted it to or not.

"So, what would you like?" Oliver asked, just as the waiter came up.

Oliver ordered some fancy champagne, but Lois couldn't think about eating. Her head was still throbbing a bit, and she realized that she just wanted to get back to Metropolis and sort out her feelings with Clark.

"Um… I don't know… the lobster salad?" she asked, selecting the first thing on the menu that appealed to her.

After the waiter left, Lois smiled awkwardly over at Oliver, hoping he wouldn't realize how foolish she felt for having run away with him.

"So… did you enjoy the beach?" he asked casually.

"Yes. Got the tan lines to prove it," she smiled. "Almost didn't wear this dress, as my strapless now appears to have straps."

"You look beautiful," he said honestly, and then seemed to regret it. "Sorry, I—"

She smiled. "It's okay, Ollie. I don't mind taking a compliment."

"Good. Cause I like giving them to you… how about a toast?"

He poured her some champagne and lifted his glass. "To friendship."

"To friendship," she responded, clinking his glass with hers.

Dinner continued easily, with small talk and banter. Though Lois was friendly, she could feel the awkward tension in Oliver. He wanted more from her, and she could no longer give it to him.

At the end of the meal, Oliver offered to walk her to her room. Since he had been the one to finish off their second champagne bottle, Lois was more worried about him making it to his suite by himself.

"Sure, let's go."

He stumbled a little leaving the restaurant, garnering a few stares from other guests. But Lois grabbed his arm, helping him walk straight.

They got into the elevator, and suddenly Oliver was leaning over her, his breath heavy with alcohol.

"Are you sure you want to be with Clark? He's a bit strange after all… almost like," he started laughing, then shook his head. "You know, like he's an alien," he laughed again, his forehead coming into contact with hers.

"Ollie, please stop," she said, trying to step away from him.

"Lois—I'm sorry. I guess I can't compete with Boy Scout… I should have known, really… I just miss—" he pulled her to him again, and Lois tolerated it, just because she knew he wasn't a threat to her.

"I miss us, you know? We were great together…. When we were together… Man, I really screwed that up, didn't I?" he said, his head sloshing side to side. "It's true what they say. You don't know what you have until it's gone."

"Ollie," Lois said, full of sympathy. "I'm sorry… really—"

Oliver suddenly leaned in and kissed her. He tried to rouse the passion that had been there years before in their kisses, but he only got a perfunctory response.

"I'm sorry, Ollie," she whispered. "Take me back to Metropolis tomorrow."

He nodded, stepping away from her, just as the elevator doors chimed open. "I hope he knows what he's getting… Don't worry Lois. The jet will be available for you to head back tomorrow morning."

Oliver stood in the hallway, his hair mussed and his tie coming undone. He looked drunk and a little pathetic. "Sorry, Lois… Good night…" he said, turning away from her.

"Ollie—" she started, but the doors already slid shut.

~L&C~

Clark whooshed into Watchtower, scattering a few papers Chloe had out on her desk.

"Any idea where Lois has gone?"

She glanced up from her work at Clark, seemingly hesitant.

"You know where she is, don't you, Chloe?" he asked.

Chloe bit her lip. "Well, yeah… but Clark. I think she just needs some space. What happened yesterday anyway?"

"I took your advice, Chloe. I kissed her."

"You what?"

"I kissed her and she—left. I don't know. Maybe I misread her…"

"Clark, I know Lois better than anyone. I know she cares about you. I'll never forget the night you stood her up at the Monster Truck Rally. Clark, she seemed like she was falling for you."

Clark sighed, running his hand through his hair. "She's not answering my calls or my texts…"

"She'll come around. Just give her a little time."

~L&C~

The next morning, Lois was in the lobby, waiting for Oliver to take her to the airport.

Oliver eventually appeared, shades over his eyes to hide his hangover, no doubt.

"Ollie. I thought—um, maybe you had business to attend to?" she said, surprised yet pleased that he had chosen to send her off and hadn't sent his chauffeur out of embarrassment over last night.

"I had to see you and apologize. I was a real ass last night, Lois. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

"No problem, Ollie. I've seen you at your worst and your best. I can handle it."

"But you don't deserve to…"

"Ollie, it's water under the bridge," she said with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

He nodded in acquiescence, "I guess I should just be grateful you accept my apology and move on." He cleared his throat. "So, I can't head back to Metropolis till tomorrow, but I have a few hours to kill before this meeting. Maybe I can try to make it up to you – and be the fun Oliver Queen that you know and love," he said, taking her bag with a smile.

"This I gotta see," she answered playfully.

Lois rolled her eyes as they neared Ollie's yellow Camero. "Please. Not those sad excuse for seats! I thought you had learned, Ollie," she teased.

"Hey, we're in L. A. It's expected of the billionaire playboy, you know? That includes uncomfortable yet incredibly sexy sports cars, didn't you know?"

He opened the door for her and squeezed her luggage into the non-existent backseat.

"As long as I get to pick the music!" she laughed, taking a White Snake CD out of her purse. "Have White Snake, will travel."

"That's what I love about you, Lois. You're always prepared," Oliver said, starting the car, but he seemed to cringe at his use of the word 'love.'

He turned to her as if to apologize, but Lois was already jamming to her favorite band.

Suddenly, Lois started shaking harder than any rock music would account for. Oliver turned off the engine and the radio. "Lois?" his voice in a panic.

He tore off his sunglasses, to get a better look at her. He gently tapped her cheeks, trying to get her to respond. "Lois, answer me, please."

"Clark…" she murmured.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath. "Lois, please answer me."

When she didn't respond, Oliver kicked the engine into gear and sped off towards the general hospital.

"Lois! Lois, please answer me," he said repeatedly, glancing over at her. "OK, Lois. Just hold on. Everything will be fine…"

Moments later, they pulled into the hospital. Oliver didn't normally like to use his money to get favors, but he was willing to this time in order to help Lois.

He pulled a hundred out of his wallet and walked over to the nearest orderly. "My friend, Lois Lane, is having some sort of seizure. She's in my front seat. Please, get her to see a doctor right away," he said, handing over the bill with a pleading glance.

The orderly hesitated a moment, but then took it. "Yes sir. I'll go get a wheelchair to bring her in."

Oliver smiled tersely and went back over to the car to see how Lois was doing. "Lois, please, wake up," he said, his voice catching. "I don't know what to do… But if anything happens to you…"

"Mr. Queen, over here," said the orderly, glancing at Oliver's name was on his license plate.

Oliver lifted Lois out of the car seat. She was still trembling and muttering nonsense.

"She'll be in the best of care, Mr. Queen. Don't worry."

~L&C~

Oliver couldn't take his eyes off Lois.

She had been out of it for the last three hours. The doctors had run CAT scans and blood tests, but found nothing wrong with her. She had seemed to stir awake over the last hour, but would quickly slip back into whatever dreams were haunting her.

They were certainly haunting him…

He listened closely as she murmured his name… Chloe's, Clark's… and even Zod's. That one had given him pause. Wasn't that one of Clark's people Clark had been chasing down over the last few months? How would Lois know about that?

The doctors came in periodically to update him. Their only concern was that her prolonged state of unconsciousness was raising her blood pressure, though the medicines they were giving her seemed to be keeping that in check, for now. There was no apparent cause, but they could not wake her from her semi-coma state. It was after the result of the last test, when the doctors assured him that they could not diagnose the cause of Lois' illness, that Oliver gave in to what he had to do.

He had to call Clark.

This had something to do with him. Oliver hated dealing with anything Kryptonian and therefore alien, but he knew that if anything needed to be done, Clark would know. Besides, he deserved to know that something was wrong with Lois.

Oliver felt the familiar pain of having lost something precious as he looked over at Lois sleeping. She had once been his to love. She had trusted him, believed in him. But he had lost sight of what was right in front of him and had let her slip away.

And now, she was in love with Clark. Inevitable, really. Clark was the real hero among them after all, wasn't he? Mr. Perfect. The Boy Scout who could do no wrong. Oliver scoffed inwardly. Though Clark was putting himself out there more and more as the Blur, he still hid in the shadows. He still kept his secret close to his chest.

And when it came to Lois? Would Clark ever tell her? Or would he let his secret break her heart in the end as well?

There was a little perverse satisfaction in the possibility that Clark might lose her for the very same reason he, Oliver Queen, had lost her. But he didn't want Lois to go through that pain again. If Clark was going to pursue a relationship with Lois, then he had to be honest with her. And maybe this would be the best moment to come clean. Presuming, of course, that Lois would be OK.

"Clark…" Lois murmured, caressing the name.

She loved him, too.

Oliver sighed heavily. He took out his cell phone, and stepped out into the hallway to find a private place to call Clark.

~L&C~

"Chloe, she's nowhere to be found. I've checked all over Smallville, all over Metropolis… I'm beginning to think something happened to her."

"Clark, breathe. I got a text from her saying she just needed a little space. I'm sure everything is fine," Chloe said, typing something into the computer at Watchtower.

Suddenly, Clark's phone began to ring. "It's Oliver," he said, seeing the caller ID. "Oliver?" Clark answered. "What's going on? Have you seen Lois?"

"Um, she's with me. Sort of."

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Clark, she said she needed some space, so I took her with me on a business trip to L. A."

Clark cringed, fearing the worst – that Lois had made her decision and chosen Oliver after all. "Is she there? Can I speak with her?" he asked, trying to mask his fears.

Oliver hesitated on the other line. "That's the thing, Clark… Lois—" Oliver paused. "She's not well, Clark."

That sent a shiver of fear of a different sort down Clark's spine. "Oliver, just tell me what's going on." In his head, Clark imagined all sorts of things. That Lois had gone ballistic, had decided she hated him, or worse - was thinking of getting back together with Oliver. But none of it mattered. He just wanted to see her. They could remain friends, if that's all she wanted.

"Clark, she's been having these – seizures."

"Seizures?" Clark asked in alarm, causing Chloe to give him a questioning glance.

"Yeah, she's in the hospital, at L. A. Med Facility. The doctors have run all sorts of tests… but here's the thing… they can't find a cause. And, uh, when she dreams… she's saying all kinds of weird things. I think it has something to do with you and, you know, your-"

"What do you mean, Oliver? What has she been saying?"

"She murmurs all our names, as if she's reliving something. Something traumatic for the most part. But the strangest thing is, she's mentioned this guy, Zod."

"Zod?" Clark said in disbelief, meeting Chloe's surprised glance.

"Yeah, it sounded like one of your, you know, Krypton peeps, and I – I didn't know who else to call. Clark, you've got to figure out what's going on here."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Clark said, and then hung up the phone.

"Zod—this has to do with Lois' trip to the future, doesn't it?" Chloe asked.

Clark nodded, mulling over what Oliver had told him. "She—she's having seizures. She's in L. A. with Oliver."

"What?" Chloe said, suddenly turning to her computer for some quick typing. "It will take me a minute, but let me see if I can access her medical file… Meanwhile, why would Lois run away with Oliver?"

"You think I want to know the answer to that, Chloe?" Clark said dejectedly. "But it doesn't matter. She needs my help – our help. Oliver sounded pretty worried…"

"OK, here we are… " Chloe said, squinting to read the file she was able to pull up. A few more clicks of the mouse and she had it so both of them could read it. "Whoa. Her blood pressure has gone through the roof… Though now it's leveled off… or maybe that's just when she becomes conscious again. Clark," she said, turning to him. "Every time she has these seizures, it puts her body through some kind of trauma… She's a tough girl, but her body can only handle so much. We have to do something, fast."

"This is all my fault," Clark mumbled.

"No, don't do that. You didn't know Lois would find the ring. And who knows why her bolt reflex kicked in and rocketed her towards Oliver. It may have been mere panic. But the point is, we have to figure out how to shake Lois from these seizures."

"If only there was a way to get inside her head… Chloe, if I knew what she had seen, then maybe I could stop Zod."

"Well. Whatever you do, you'd better do it quick. Lois is holding on, but who knows how more of this trauma will affect her."

~L&C~

A few moments later, Clark supersped across half the country, arriving at L. A. Medical Center. He found Oliver sitting in the lobby, his head between his hands.

"Oliver. How is she?"

"Not much has changed since I spoke to you. Look, I'm sorry—"

Clark sighed, preparing his concession speech he had thought of on the way over. "Oliver, it's okay. If she's chosen you—"

"No, Clark, you've got it all wrong. I took Lois out here just to think through some things. She was pretty freaked out by what happened the other day. "

Clark looked guilty. "She's not mad at me?"

"No, Clark… she's- man, look, we just need to help her. Clark, I've never seen her so weak before."

Clark nodded in understanding about the change of subject. "What room is she in?"

Oliver gestured down the hallway. "Room 105. I made sure she had a private room. Go on. I'll wait here."

Clark nodded and headed down the quiet hallway. When he got to room 105, he gently knocked, "Lois?" But no one answered.

He stepped inside the dimly lit hospital room. Lois seemed to be sleeping, though he could see that her blood pressure was still high, and she was still being closely monitored.

She looked paler than he had ever seen her. And Oliver was right. She looked weak. She'd never looked this weak a day in her life, and it scared him. He sat by her bedside and gently took her hand, which was surprisingly warm. "I'm sorry, Lois. This is all my fault…"

"Clar…" she murmured.

"I'm here, Lois," he answered quietly in response, trying to speak through the choked sensation in his throat. He squeezed her hand gently.

Clark searched her face, hoping against hope that she'd suddenly sit up and give him one of her snarky remarks. Lois was the strongest woman he knew. He couldn't bear to see her like this.

Clark shook his head, glancing around the room as he tried to think what to do. He noticed her purse on a visitor's chair, just on the other side of her bed. A piece of paper was sticking out of it. With an almost apologetic glance at Lois, he let go of her hand and walked over to read the conspicuous paper.

_A red sun__  
><em>  
><em>Chloe on the ground – dead?<em>_  
><em>  
><em>Oliver—burying someone?<em>_  
><em>  
><em>Clark—<em>_  
><em>  
>Clark felt a chill go up his spine, more horrified than ever about what kind of world Lois had seen of the future. And it was all his fault. How could he fix this?<p>

His own name had been stricken through. He wondered what horror he had done. What had she seen that so terrified her, she couldn't even write it on paper?

Suddenly, Lois started trembling, sending her vitals all over the place. "Lois," he said, stuffing the paper in his pocket as he rushed back to her side."Nurse!" Clark called over his shoulder, terrified. "It's going to be all right, Lois. Everything is going to be fine," he tried to say calmly, hoping that by speaking the words, he'd make it happen.

A short brunette stepped in. "The doctor is coming, sir. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

He felt desperation sinking in, needing to stay with Lois to see that she'd be all right. "I can't—I mean she's—"

"She's what? Your wife?" the woman asked bluntly.

Clark sadly shook his head, just as the doctor entered with a team of nurses.

"Just as I thought," the nurse responded. "Come with me, please. She'll be fine. This has been happening all day."

Helpless to do anything else, Clark allowed himself to be led out of the room. He stood just outside the door though, and unabashedly used his x-ray vision to see what was happening. Within moments, they had her vitals back to normal levels and were filling out her chart. Clark waited until the doctor left her room to speak to him.

"Will she be all right?" he asked.

The doctor sighed irritably. "I'm sorry, are you part of her immediate family?"

"No, but—" Clark said, his heart painfully full of all he felt for the woman in the other room.

The doctor nodded understandingly. "I don't know what's causing this. We're looking for the reason, and then we can start thinking about the cure. I'm sorry."

Clark moved to go back in the room, but the doctor stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, son. She's sleeping now. You'll have to come back tomorrow, during visiting hours."

Clark nodded and headed back down the hallway to where Oliver was still sitting.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Clark shook his head, still in shock by what he had seen. It terrified him, reminding him of when Brainiac had had Lana under his control. He was sick to death of being the reason those he loved suffered.

"Are you all right, Clark?" Oliver asked again.

"Yeah, sure… I—I don't know what to do, Oliver. The worst part is, I need to know the details of the visions she's been having." Clark paused, and took the paper out of his pocket. "I found this in her purse. It's a list of some pretty horrific things. Oliver, I think it's the future that Lois has been to. I have to know what she knows… It may be the only way to stop Zod… "

Oliver read the short list she had written. Clark thought Oliver seemed to recognize the letterhead of the hotel. "Do you think this has happened more than once?" Oliver asked.

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that I can't stand to see her suffer like this," he said with a glance over his shoulder towards Lois' room. His eyes narrowed, and his vision easily peeled away the things obstructing his view of her. She was still resting peacefully.

"There has to be something you can do, Clark," Oliver said forcefully. "One of your gadgets or – Jor-El? Something. We can't just leave her like this, Clark. She'll—"

"Don't say it," Clark interrupted. "Maybe you're right. Maybe Jor-El can somehow get into Lois' memories… But if I take her to the Fortress, she may learn who I am—"

Oliver crossed his arms, clearly irritated. "Then that's a risk you're going to have to take, Clark. Look, I did the whole hide-who –I- am thing with Lois. And things didn't end up so great. I regret not being honest with her. You should consider that. Besides, I think she'd understand. You need to give her more credit."

"It's not that she wouldn't understand, Oliver. Her knowing the truth about who I am would only put her in more danger."

Oliver pointed down the hallway. "And you think she's in less danger now? Clark, if she understood what was really going on here, she may have been able to tell you something about this sooner. We might have been able to prevent coming to the hospital at all. Come on, Clark. Grow up."

Clark sighed with a nod, accepting Oliver's tirade. "Fine. How do we get her out of here, then?"

"I'll make up something about my personal physician, blah blah blah… I'll take care of it. Just whisk her out of here and see if your ice palace father can help her."

Clark suddenly whooshed out of sight. "Clark?" Oliver called. His eyes wandered down the hallway. He could see that Lois' room was open. He walked towards it, seeing that Clark had already taken Lois. With a heavy sigh, he turned to the nurses' station, preparing what he hoped would be a somewhat-believable excuse as to why their patient had suddenly disappeared.

~L&C~

The shortest way to the Fortress was through the portal in the Kawatchee caves. Clark sped home with Lois in his arms, grabbed the Kryptonian key and was standing before the stonewall entrance to the Fortress within moments.

He paused to check on Lois. She seemed to be in a deep sleep. Listening closely, he could hear that her heart rate was elevated, but steady.

"I'm so sorry, Lois," he whispered, pushing her hair back from her face. "I can't seem to avoid hurting those I love," he said. His mind focused on that last word – love. Of course he loved Lois. She drove him to distraction, but she pushed him and supported him as well. She was everything to him, and he was just beginning to see it.

"I can't lose you now," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

Clark turned towards the entrance to the Fortress, touching the Kryptonian etchings in sequence as they lit up, yellow, red, and blue.

With a whisk of wind, they were suddenly in the Arctic, and Clark held Lois closer to him to keep her warm.

"Jor-El?" Clark called, surprised by the catch in his throat. He realized that he had to trust his Kryptonian father, a father who wasn't always cooperative or well-intentioned. But he had no other options to save Lois.

He waited a moment for an answer, the cold arctic winds blowing around them.

"I've come to ask for help," Clark continued. " It's Lois. She—she's having visions of the future. She put on the Legion ring, and now those memories are threatening her life."

"You want me to clear her mind of the memories of the future, Kal-El?" came Jor-El's incredulous voice from somewhere above them.

"Yes. But I need to learn what she has seen first. It may be the only way to stop Zod."

"Keeping your secret from Lois Lane has its consequences. Until you can tell her the truth about yourself, she will always be in more danger," Jor-El said, with just a hint of condescension.

"How is that so? Everyone who knows my secret has been hurt by it in some way. I would never wish that on Lois."

"You refuse to see her strength, Kal-El. I will not allow you to play with destiny on a whim. Lois has made her own decisions, and now you must make yours. You must decide if you trust her. I will take away the damaging effects of her memories, but she will still retain glimpses of the future. It's up to you if she will tell you what she knows."

"How can I protect her if she knows my secret?"

"Kal-El, you are trying to protect yourself, not Lois."

Clark looked down at Lois, who was still sleeping, as he considered Jor-El's words. Was he trying to protect himself? Faora had come back from the future to tell him that he would destroy the planet… yet Clark knew Zod was the real threat – wasn't he?

What would Lois remember? Would she be frightened of who he was? Would she trust him?

Could _he_trust her?

"I want to, Lois," he whispered. Maybe Jor-El was right. He was more concerned with protecting his own heart and his secret. He feared telling Lois the truth, because he feared risking losing her.

"All right, Jor-El," he called out against the crystalline caves around them. "Bring Lois back. I'll accept the consequences."

The cave suddenly flashed with a warm, bright light. It diffused all around them and then gradually disappeared.

Lois started to stir awake…

For one panicked moment, Clark considered whisking her out of there before she could fully wake up. He thought of taking her to Smallville or to the Planet, or even back to Oliver, and just make up something about how she had been sick.

But he knew if he did that, he'd never stop running from her. He'd continually make excuses and continually lie to her.

Not only would he never know what she knew about Zod, but he'd keep her forever at a distance.  
>He suddenly realized that he didn't want that. They may have more to learn, but they would do it together.<p>

If he could face Lois here, in the full truth of who he was, then nothing would stop them.

Clark knew it was time to stop running.

~L&C~

"Smallville?" she whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Lois," he began, his voice strained. "I thought I'd lost you."

He helped her stand up, and then took her in his arms in a warm hug.

"Where are we?" she asked, taking in their surroundings.

"It's a lot to explain… and I want to tell you everything," he said, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you trust me?"

"Clark, what is this?" she asked, suddenly wary. She pulled away from him, her arms wrapping around herself for warmth.

"Lois, we need to talk," he said, regretting his choice not to at least take her back to the barn first.

"First we need to find a way out of here," she said practically, starting to look around for an exit. "How did we even get here?"

"Lois, please, just stop a moment. I need to tell you something."

"Well, hurry it up, Smallville, cause I'm freezing."

"Lois, I'm—" he began, but words caught in his throat. How did he explain himself to her? Did he just tell her straight out that he was the Blur? That he wasn't even from this planet?

Would she ever trust him again, knowing how long he had lied to her? He felt ashamed about how he had turned to her so freely as the Blur, often putting her at risk, and yet withholding his true self from her. He longed to face her as Clark and have her know the full truth – yet he feared that whatever love was between them would disappear in the face of his lies.

His father's words came back to him. _"Kal-El, you are trying to protect yourself, not Lois."_It was true. He was afraid of losing her if she knew the truth.

But what if Oliver was right? What if Lois would understand? What if she loved him enough that it wouldn't matter? Could he risk _not_ telling her simply because he feared a bruise to his pride?

"Clark, what is it?" she asked, her hazel eyes seeking his. She was visibly cold, in nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants. He had on a light jacket, and he quickly took it off to swing over her shoulders.

"Clark, you'll freeze," she said, even as she snuggled deeper into his offered coat.

"No, I won't," he said decisively, working up the courage to tell her exactly _why_ he wouldn't freeze.  
>"But we need to get you out of here."<p>

Clark touched the panel of the Fortress, holding Lois' hand, and they were suddenly back in the Kawatchee caves.

"What—just happened?" she asked, disoriented. "Hey, I remember these caves. You were quite obsessed with them a few years ago…" She raised her eyebrows, impressed. "I suppose I can sort of see why… Though, I'm still a little lost on how you have a secret passage to an ice cave…"

"Lois," he began, and then hesitated again. "Walk with me?" he asked, offering her his hand. She took it, and he led her out of the cave.

The sun was beginning to set, and the golden fields of Smallville stretched out before them. Clark glanced over at Lois, and she seemed puzzled about something.

"What is it?" he asked.

She shook her head, "Nothing… just… um, remembering something, I guess."

Clark looked around them, the sun was almost red in its golden cast over the landscape. He swallowed his fear, wondering if Lois was recalling the red sun of her visit to the future. He had to tell her the truth. It was now or never.

"Lois, you know how sometimes you get mad at me for not always being there? How I sometimes seem unfocused or, I don't know…"

"Sure, Smallville. I've come to expect a little quirkiness from you. It's one of your endearing qualities," she said with a smile. "By the way, how did we even get out here?" she asked, apparently looking around for a mode of transport.

Clark sighed. "I'm trying to explain, Lois… This is difficult."

She squeezed his hand. "Whatever it is, Clark, just tell me."

He turned to her, one of her hands still clasped in his. He raised his other hand and stroked her cheek. Her eyes lit up under his gaze and he couldn't help but smile back himself. "I can't believe I almost lost you," he whispered.

"What do you mean? All I remember is Ollie…" she glanced away, seeming even more puzzled.

"Lois, do you remember asking me what was my biggest secret?"

"Clark, it was a zombie apocalypse. I think I get a pass for trying to pry into your personal life…" He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, and her eyes closed briefly with pleasure. "Though I'll admit, you could confess anything right now and I'd be okay with it, Smallville," she said in a sultry voice, and they were both thinking of that kiss in the middle of the Daily Planet newsroom...

Clark leaned in towards her, remembering their kiss from the other day. He wanted to kiss her, even if it was a last time. Even if, after he told her the truth, she never wanted to speak to him again. They could still have this moment, in this glorious sunset…

His lips met hers, and her arms circled round his shoulders. Sweet moans of pleasure came from Lois as he took their kiss deeper.

But suddenly Clark pulled away. "I can't…" he said.

She looked up at him, hurt and confused. "Why?" she whispered.

"Lois, there's something I've been trying to tell you. I have no idea how…" he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "All I know is, I don't want there to be any more secrets between us."

"Look, if this is about Oliver – I just went with him to try and clear my head."

Clark looked her steadily in the eye, preparing himself just in case he had been wrong about the whole situation. "You're sure you don't want to get back together with him?"

"No! Clark, if that kiss didn't tell you that then—" she threw her hands in the air. "I just freaked out a little. I was so afraid… that you'd walk away. So I guess I left first. But I realized, that I was merely running away… from my heart," she glanced up at him, tears in her eyes. "I've been second string before, Clark. With Ollie… it was always so complicated. And I don't want to be in that position ever again. I know you said we should keep secrets-" She let out a heavy sigh, her eyes meeting his, still shiny with unshed tears. "For the first time in my life, I don't mind if the whole story is out there… "

"What's the whole story then, Lois?" he asked quietly.

"The truth is, I'm confused… I can't help keep wondering about the Blur. And you… well, my heart feels like it's torn in two," she said, a tear finally slipping down her cheek.

"Lois, please, don't cry. There is no need," he said soothingly, stepping towards her. "You don't need to feel torn, Lois. You see- I'm—" The words again stuck in his throat, and Lois watched him expectantly. He couldn't say it, but perhaps he could show her. Clark suddenly got inspired. He picked her up in his arms, and super sped them to the farm, setting Lois down on the front porch.

She stared at him quietly a moment, seemingly speechless, which was a first for Lois Lane. Her silence unnerved him and Clark began to pace. "Please, Lois. Say something. Anything…"

~L&C~

Lois watched Clark pace on the porch, seemingly distraught over his revelation, though it was nothing compared to the roiling feeling in her own heart.

"The Blur," she whispered in awe at last. "It was _you_?" she said, as a hundred little things clicked into place. "All those phone calls… all the time, it was you?"

She leaned against the rail of the porch for support. She should be ecstatic, over the moon with joy. Clark, the man she was falling in love with, and the Blur, her secret hero she worshipped from afar were the same man. And yet, she couldn't help feeling betrayed and lied to.

"Why tell me now? Why not let the charade continue, Clark?" She could see the guilt in his eyes, and she relented just a bit. "I mean, maybe you lied to protect me. I certainly encouraged it," she said ruefully. "A part of me always believed that I should never know the Blur's identity, that it would be too dangerous. But knowing it is you… I guess I'm hurt that you didn't tell me sooner."

"Lois, I _am_ sorry. But I'm telling you now because - I don't want there to be secrets between us. Lois, you have no idea what it meant to me talking to you as the Blur. You were my only contact with the world for weeks. You kept me sane…I—"

"Why did you disappear?"

"I was supposed to train… The Fortress, in the Arctic, where we just came from?" He sighed. "Lois, this is the harder part to explain."

Lois took a seat on the front step and patted a spot beside her. She looked up at him, curiosity mixed with just a little awe making her chest pound with excitement as the many questions she had for him began piling up in her mind. "We've got all night. I want to know everything."

~L&C~

Hours later, Lois was still sitting on the porch step next to Clark. Her head was on his shoulder, after hours of pouring out his heart to her, explaining all the little things he had always wanted to tell her. It felt so good to unburden himself to Lois. He felt more peace in his heart than he had in years.

They watched the stars come out, and here in Kansas, the night sky percolated with points of light for miles. "You know, one of those stars could be Krypton," she said. "I heard that stars will shine here on earth long after they've disappeared…"

"I've thought of that countless times myself. I used to sit in the barn with my telescope, poring over astrology books, trying to find an unmarked star, or one that was misnamed. But I never could figure it out."

Lois suddenly yawned. "All this fresh air is getting to me, I guess," she said, slightly apologetically.

"Tired?"

"Mmm, a little." She stood up and stretched, then looked down at Clark. "You don't know what it means that you've trusted me with all this, Clark."

Clark stood and took her in his arms. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time, Lois. But I was always afraid… Afraid of what you'd think, or that it would put you in greater danger. Then I realized, I was putting you in greater danger without this knowledge."

She laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes. They stood under the blanket of stars, just listening to each other breathe, to each other's heartbeat.

"Lois… I have one other confession to make tonight."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Well?"

"Come, I'll show you."

He took her hand and led her to the barn. They climbed the wooden stairs to his loft, and he sat her down on the sofa while he rummaged through his junk drawer until he found what he was looking for.  
>He turned to face her, holding the Legion ring. "I need to explain this."<p>

She looked at it fearfully and glanced warily at him. "All I remember was putting that on before my three weeks of blocked memory. And then… I reappeared on that monorail, wearing that ring."

"Lois, it took you to the future," he explained, putting the ring away. He came immediately back over and sat down next to her on the sofa.

"Your memories of the future were causing you to blackout. Jor-El cured you of the ill effects of your time travel, but Lois – I'm hoping you can remember something about what you saw. The future of the world may depend on it."

Coming from anyone else, or even the Clark Kent she had thought she'd known, she would have thought his comment trite. But given all the bizarre and extraordinary things he had explained to her tonight, she could only take him at his word.

Clark took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You had written this yesterday, I think. Do you recall what any of it means?"

Lois stared at the list, the words conjuring vague memories of the dreams she'd been having. She touched the words one by one, her fingers stopping on Clark's stricken out name.

"One of the Kandorians had come from the future, warning that I would be the one to destroy the planet. I feared that you were too fearful to write what I—I'm worried about what will happen in the future, Lois. Why would Faora say I would destroy the world?"

He laid his head in his hands, distraught. Lois recalled why she had stricken out his name, and though she was embarrassed by the passion her dreams had shown her, she couldn't let Clark think he was some dangerous monster to be feared.

She gently pulled his hands down to his side, and made him look at her. "Clark, you didn't do anything awful in my dream or, um, visit to the future. Quite the opposite," she demurred.

"Then what do you remember?"

Lois closed her eyes, trying to recall the images of her dreams. She focused on the words she had written down, and slowly, events came back to her…

"There was a red sun. I think Zod and Tess had created it. It gave the aliens power," she said slowly, her eyes still closed. "There was a fight… Something happened to Chloe." Her eyes flashed open. "I remember that the tower was the key. Something about turning the sun yellow again and you would be our hope…" she finished slowly. "I hadn't understood before. Is it the sun that gives you your powers?"

Clark nodded. "Yes, and the Kandorians are trying to get power as well. It's the RAO Solar Tower, isn't it? The one that Tess is funding?"

"Yes, that's it! Clark – how do we stop it? It goes live in… a matter of days. This Wednesday, I think."

"Yes… I can stop it. I'll find a way… is there anything else you remember, Lois?"

She looked away, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she recalled the images of her tumbling in the sheets with Clark. "Nothing for the front page, Smallville."

He watched her a moment, but let the topic go. After a while, he stood, as if he had made his mind up about something. "Will you stay here a bit? There's something I have to do."

"What? Like save the world?" she half-kidded.

He smiled slightly. "Actually…"

"Go," she said softly. "And let me write the story about it tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'll be here when you get back."

Suddenly, Clark whooshed out of sight. The movement caught Lois off guard a bit. Her eyes tried to follow where he had gone, but he moved faster than anything she had ever seen before.

She lay back on the sofa with a sigh, slightly overwhelmed by all she had learned tonight. After a while, she got up and changed into Clark's old high school football jersey and climbed into his bed.

She still couldn't believe it.

Her mild mannered Smallvile was also the Blur…

As she settled into the covers, a calm filled her, surrounded by things that reminded her of Clark. She wanted to stay up and wait for him, but she was exhausted from this evening's excitement. Soon enough, the pull of sleep took her away.

But she knew she would only have peaceful dreams tonight.

Clark – the Blur – was hers for keeps.

~L&C~

Clark stood on the top of the Daily Planet building, surveying the RAO Solar Tower. It was set to go live in just a few days, as Lois had said. If he could stop them from starting the tower, then he could gain the upper hand on Zod. He would have the leverage he needed to help his people assimilate, and not conquer the world, as Zod wanted to do.

Sometimes the ends justified the means, didn't it? He wanted peace for his people, for them to find a place.

Would it really be wrong to burn down the RAO Tower, considering the danger it presented?

Clark normally would deliberate over something like this. Destruction wasn't in his nature. He would normally hesitate until he was absolutely certain there was no other way. But he felt confident in trusting his instinct in this matter. He trusted Lois' belief in him. Her open spirit had buoyed his own, wiping away his doubts about his place and purpose in the world.

He felt confident about taking action. It was the right thing to do.

Clark suddenly let his heat vision fly across the buildings, over to the distant RAO Tower, setting the symbol of Zod's power aflame. He felt some relish in doing so, and yet he felt the responsibility of it as well.

The consequences of not burning it down were too dire, though. Whatever games Zod would now play, Clark knew that he also had an unshakeable ally in his corner in Lois. And with her by his side, he felt that anything was possible.

~L&C~

Clark sped back to the farmhouse a short time later. It was after midnight, and though he didn't expect Lois to be awake, he hoped she would be. He looked forward to writing up the story with her about how the RAO Tower had mysteriously burned to the ground.

He went to the loft, and found Lois asleep on his bed, wearing his football jersey. She looked so restful, so at peace, and incredibly beautiful.

Quietly, he changed into a t-shirt and boxers and climbed into bed beside her.

"Clark?" she murmured, snuggling easily into his embrace, even as she drifted back to sleep.

"I'm here, Lois," he whispered back, planting a gentle kiss on her brow.

As Clark settled into bed, Lois fast asleep in his arms, he looked out into the night sky. Hundreds of stars, like tiny diamonds twinkled back at him. He happened to just catch a glimpse of a shooting star cross the sky, and he held his breath, thinking. Could that have been Krypton, falling out of the night sky? He would never know…

He settled into the bed, spooning Lois, thinking how lucky he was to have her in his life, and to have her know the truth about him. Despite all the heartache and pain. Despite losing his father, and despite being so wrong about Lana. Despite all the troubles with the Kandorians ,and what may lay ahead in dealing with Zod, Clark felt at peace.

Holding Lois, he felt all was right in the world.

He kissed her hair gently again, whispering, "Good night, Lois."

They both had stopped running…

And whatever tomorrow would bring, he knew that they would be able to face it – together.

THE END


End file.
